[rferguson]

@ IstanbulWarrier: the very same Business Centre trick works for the MH F and J lounges in KUL :-)) If you only have access to the J lounge you can easily slip yourself into the F lounge if you use the business centre.

While the lounge situation isn’t ideal for OW Emeralds I would imagine that OW was fully aware of all the details before they confirmed QR’s entry. Given that the entry of QR was viewed as such a prize by OW I would imagine they were able to call quite a few of the shots.

[AAinHKG]

In short, CX does allow all EMERALD OW members use their F class lounge regardless of the class of travel.

BA has done a “great job” introducing QR to OW. No wonder QF has bolted … am waiting to see whether a 4th alliance gets up.

[AAinHKG]

Then you have a very simple choice, formerlyDOS. Choose one of the many airlines that is not in an alliance, who do not let very loyal frequent flyers in their top tier lounges or accept the idea that alliances do just that. My experience is that the biggest mouths in a F class lounge are the same people (unfortunately) sitting next to me in 1D!!!

[FormerlyDoS]

AAinHKG

My favourite airlines are non-aligned, EI to the west, EY and GF to the east.

Alliances do not let FFs into their top lounges, necessarily, as individual airlines exclude everyday, examples being BA and LH.

The F lounges that BA provide are not their top lounges, nor is the LH Senator lounge (for star golds) the top one, either.

As I don’t usually frequent oneworld F lounges, the loudest voice in there will not be me and you might do well to consider that judgment is a two way street, someone in 1F might wish theyr were not sitting next to someone they perceive as an 1Diot.

[HHS0001]

Facts from recent (and my first) QR roundtrip CAI/DOH/HKG:
OW Emerald are NOT ALLOWED in F lounge in DOH but rather the Oryx lounge: no hot dishes, drinks hidden, overcrowded.
QR staff/middle management are LAIRS and like to believe their own lies.
CX First class is accessible to OW Emerald.
QR Y class meal on a 9-hour flight is a gross disgrace, with a salad dish fit for a bird and plastic forks/knives.
NEVER again would I fly QR or transit their cramped and chaotic airport.
QR Platinum members should be BANNED from using OW F lounges out of fairness.

[syclik5]

Expecting to be able to use the Doha Premium Terminal when not travelling with Qatar Airways is the equivalent of expecting to be allowed to use the Concorde Room in T5 or T3 when flying Qatar Airways from Terminal 4.

The Premium Terminal is reserved for Qatar Airways guests, just as the airside parts of Terminal 5 are reserved for British Airways and Iberia guests.

Your expectations were entirely unrealistic.

[Inthesandpit]

First Class
Thanks
Tried the manage my booking on BA but no luck
Will get onto the agent in IAD to change it
Thanks for all the info

[rferguson]

In comparing BA/Concorde Room with QR/Premium terminal: although BA restricts access to the Concorde Room it still offers SEPARATE facilities for Sapphires and Emeralds as it has the facility to do so….just as QR does.

I think the scenario would be different if the only lounges BA operated were ‘Galleries’ and ‘Concorde Rooms’. With all J, OW sapphires and Emeralds to the Galleries and only genuine F passengers into the Concorde Room.

Essentially airlines like BA are providing three tiers of lounge – giving emeralds use of all but the top of the three. QR also has three tiers if we consider third party oryx as the first, Premium Terminal J as the second and Premium Terminal F as the top. I think emeralds should at least have access to two of the three tiers.

I’m travelling QR in J next month via DOH. Will be quite disappointed that although I will be headed to the Premium Terminal I will not be given access to the First Class lounge as a OW Emerald. Oh well. May need to pop into the Business Centre. 😉

To a degree I just find this pig headedness. I understand that they may wish to offer exclusive facilities for their F passengers but surely they can re configure their lounges to accommodate the need for this AND OW Emeralds. In DOH at least. Situations like this just make you think whether it is really worth pursuing Emerald status since more and more often it seems the added perk of top tier lounges are disappearing. QF closing it’s F lounge in HKG for example and replacing it with a joing F/J one.

[FormerlyDoS]

RF

“QR also has three tiers if we consider third party oryx as the first, Premium Terminal J as the second and Premium Terminal F as the top. I think emeralds should at least have access to two of the three tiers. “

It doesn’t work like that at Doha (where I am writing this post.), as QR has premium and non-premium terminals, not terminals with replicated facilities – although having said that, BA F pax in T3 don’t get a Concorde Room and in T1, there isn’t an F lounge, only a premium lounge, unless I’m mistaken, so OW Emeralds don’t have an F lounge in there. Cue lots of shouting from TLV pax arriving from the US in F in T5, when it transferred to mid haul!

The QR premium terminal and ground transportation is not set up to manage large volumes of OQ card holders.

SO OW Emeralds/Sapphires in Y get the Oryx Lounge (which I will get as a GF J class pax on Wednesday evening.) They get the Skyteam or MH lounges at LHR (the former I know is good quality and I hear the latter is.)

“To a degree I just find this pig headedness. I understand that they may wish to offer exclusive facilities for their F passengers but surely they can re configure their lounges to accommodate the need for this AND OW Emeralds”

I don’t think it is pig headedness, why doesn’t BA offer an F Lounge in T1? Practical reasons and QR is the same.

NB:

The Oryx lounge is used for both F and J pax at DOH.

When Hamad International opens, this current issue may go away, until then it is what it is.

[AAinHKG]

Thank you for your abundant opinions, FormerlyDOS. One certainly can see you make yourself at home here. Alliances hope that they can attract premium passengers more frequently to their airlines if they offer more comprehensive services.

To simplify matters for you, it seems that people are concerned that certain airlines (with whom they are FF) offer more privileges than certain airlines, QR, being one of them, and they view that as being unfair.

1. Now it seems that you may like (or should I say LOVE) playing the role of moderator of this forum thread;
2. You seem to easily take offence at the suggestion that people may find a gulf airline, like QR, guilty of profiting from other Oneworld airlines’ benefits even though it has been clearly stated that they are not the only one doing it;
3. The purpose of this forum is to discuss issues pertaining to accessing QR premium lounges for OW emerald and sapphire members and;
4. Among your many, many, many posts you claim not to be a OW member or prefer to travel with QR as a OW member, so maybe yo would consider allowing people to post information to the forum without your judgment.

However, if that is not possible, please, please continue, if not for the entertainment value in my office.

[FormerlyDoS]

AAinHKG – 08/12/2013 23:54 GMT

To save myself a lot of typing, I will cut and paste my last sentence.

“When Hamad International opens, this current issue may go away, until then it is what it is.”

[AAinHKG]

Thank you. Being based in the Middle East, have you heard any plans for the new airport lounge offerings?

[FormerlyDoS]

I am not based in the Middle East, I just happen to be in Doha at the moment, as I travel to the region 8-10 times per year, sometimes more.

QR management does not share its planning with me, so like a few others I’ve heard the new lounges will be ab fab, but have no details of how it will work, thus my comment that the issue **may go away**

The current status of HIA is

http://www.dohaairport.com/en/hia/hia.html

The terminal maps do not give much away, in this respect

http://www.dohaairport.com/en/HIA/terminal_map/terminal_map.html

[TabTraveller]

@AAinHKG
From a brief conversation with a (one of only twenty…) British FA from LHR to DOH on thurs last week I agree with FDoS that the situation is likely to go away once HIA opens. She had toured the facilities recently and said that they were extensive and highly impressive. She didn’t know about OW access (obviously) but if they have extensive facilities there then it would make most sense to allow OW elites to use their facilities rather than paying a third party to provide these.

As an aside I don’t feel your comments concerning FDoS in your previous post are justified.

[IstanbulWarrior]

I can shed the following light on the new lounges at Hamad International Airport.

The First Class and Business Class check-in will be on the right of the terminal as you go in.

First Class check-in will be the usual counter-style but with nice leather stools to sit on. Business class check-in will be slightly nicer than the normal counters.

There will be direct access for First Class passengers from Check-in to lounge to boarding gates as some research has shown that First Class passengers generally do not spend money on duty free.

Business Class will have a fast track line to the main concourse from where they have to go through duty free to get to the business class lounge.

Both lounges will be designed by the same person who does the interiors for Hermes boutiques worldwide (forgot his name)

Despite all of this, I am still not sure if OW FQTVs will have access to these lounges or whether they will have access to a Privilege Club lounge.

One of the best parts of the airport is this sculpture,

http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2011/04/04/20-ton-urs-fischer-teddy-bear-sculpture-headed-for-park-avenue

which forms a centrepiece of the various pieces of art found around the airport.

Hope this helps!

[Author]

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